How often are you scrolling on social media when suddenly you actually find something worth watching? I was doing just that when one of Adam Kirtland’s posts popped up demonstrating how to deadhead a rose.
He clearly showed where to find a five-leaf shoot, the point at which deadhead the faded flower head. I forwarded the clip to one of my clients who is new to gardening, and that which I had been telling her to do over the phone became wonderfully easy to comprehend. Since then, I have watched many useful tips and hints provided by Adam all in a clear, concise format each one showing what he is doing in a well edited short film. With weeks of dreary cold weather now upon us and hours spent indoors rather than working in our gardens, I’d advise any reader to take a look at Adam Kirtland’s Facebook page (View from the Potting Bench) and see if you, like his 177,000 other followers, could learn a tip or two.
I was delighted when Adam responded to my request for an interview, to find out more about his absolute passion for all things related to gardening.
Did you get the gardening bug as a child or was it something that developed later in life?
As a child I would spend time with my grandmother who loved keeping her garden looking neat and tidy. It was, however, fairly classic with neatly trimmed lawn edges and colourful annuals planted in a way that we now perceive as somewhat old-fashioned. My interest in gardening only developed during the first Covid lockdown. By that time, I had my own house and garden which I kept weed-free and I mowed the lawn, but I had not gone beyond that. However, when we were all forced to stay at home – with the nice weather that accompanied the lockdown – like many other people I found a new pastime and for me it was gardening.
I took the opportunity to watch old episodes of BBC Gardeners’ World, listened regularly to Gardeners’ Question Time on BBC Radio 4 and got my hands on numerous gardening books. I became hooked and now some five years later, my gardening obsession continues.
Have you any professional horticultural qualifications?
I regard myself 100% as an amateur gardener and I have no formal RHS qualifications. The tips I share are based purely on what I have learned by watching other gardeners, reading books and putting into practice myself. If I find a way of doing something that works well, I am happy to share any tips with an audience, either online, in one of my gardening workshops, or at various gardening shows or garden centres through the year. That doesn’t mean to say that I won’t find the time and the money to embark on some type of formal horticultural training in the future.
And what about media training?
I studied media and communications at university in Birmingham, and we learned some basic filming and editing techniques as part of our studies. However, I later went to work for a small media production company who made short films and videos for various clients. There I got involved in all aspects of film production including learning how to tell a story on camera. It is those skills that I now use for my own films.
What does it feel like to have so many people following you on social media?
It has certainly been a surprise how, after an initially slow response to the posts I put out, since the start of this year [2025] I have more and more people following me on Facebook, X and Instagram. I tend to choose topics which I consider my followers will find useful and timely during the gardening year. I also produce a podcast and have been delighted to have chatted with a number of well-known celebrity gardeners. It’s available on all podcast platforms. You can find out more on my website.
Most people who enjoy gardening have a favourite gardener to learn from, who are yours?
I enjoy getting inspiration and knowledge from Claus Dalby who lives near the Danish city of Aarhus. Not only is he a gardener but he has also written more than thirty books about flowers and gardens. He printed his first book in English, Containers in the Garden, in 2022 followed a year later by The Cottage Garden.
Claus shares a love of mine: tulips and dahlias, and I enjoy growing plants in pots, so I have learned a lot from reading his books.
What style of gardening do you follow in your own garden, and what are your favourite plants?
Because I love plants, I tend to follow a semi-cottage garden style. I use any space to fill with plants either in the ground or in pots. I tend to bung the plants in and see what happens as that can be the best, or worst, way to learn. I am certainly not strict with any definitive garden style.
When it comes to favourite plants, apart from tulips and dahlias, my two most favourite are Salvia microphylla – which not only has attractive flowers but also fragrant foliage – and Erysimum Bowles’s Mauve which produces racemes of rich mauve flowers for months and months and attracts pollinators.
What are your future aspirations when it comes to your gardening career?
I thoroughly enjoy running workshops and being a guest at various garden centres and garden talks around the country. Attending several of the big gardening shows also gives me the opportunity to interact with the public which I love, and who knows maybe one day I will have the chance to appear on television – presenting tips and demystifying techniques of gardening. I love talking about gardening on the radio too, so let’s see what the future holds. I would also like to write my own gardening book.
To find out more about where you can see Adam during 2026 visit his website viewfromthepottingbench.com.
On Instagram and Facebook @viewfromthepottingbench
